In recent years, many homeowners in South Africa have, for various reasons, down-sized from expansive properties to smaller, more manageable homes in secure complexes.
In many instances these are new complexes that have been developed in the vicinity of major urban areas, whereas in others large existing properties have been subdivided.
The end result has been a move away from sprawling gardens to far smaller ones that may be only 30 to 200 square metres in extent. Although this may seem to limit the options for creating a bird or wildlife sanctuary, these smaller areas can, in fact, be converted relatively easily into wildlife gardens and allow homeowners to create attractive and tranquil areas in the midst of a busy city environment. With the correct design, plant selection and placement, it is amazing how quickly the local wildlife will respond to these mini ‘ecosystems’, with insects, birds, lizards and even amphibians rapidly choosing to find a home in these small spaces. In their own way, the gardens become mini-extensions of natural greenbelt areas and help to enhance the biodiversity of our country.
The garden featured here is one such example. It is situated in the heart of Ferndale, a bustling central area of Johannesburg, but by using specific design features we managed to create a haven for the homeowner. It not only provides peace and tranquillity after a long day at the office, lends itself to being used for entertainment and effectively muffles noise from the nearby main road, but it also acts as a harbour for wildlife.
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EXPLORING NEW HORIZONS
Keith Barnes, co-author of the new Field Guide to Birds of Greater Southern Africa, chats about the long-neglected birding regions just north of the Kunene and Zambezi, getting back to watching birds and the vulture that changed his life.
footloose IN FYNBOS
The Walker Bay Diversity Trail is a leisurely hike with a multitude of flowers, feathers and flavours along the way.
Living forwards
How photographing birds helps me face adversity
CAPE crusade
The Cape Bird Club/City of Cape Town Birding Big Year Challenge
water & WINGS
WATER IS LIFE. As wildlife photographer Greg du Toit knows better than most.
winter wanderer
as summer becomes a memory in the south, the skies are a little quieter as the migrants have returned to the warming north. But one bird endemic to the southern African region takes its own little winter journey.
when perfect isn't enough
Egg signatures and forgeries in the cuckoo-drongo arms race
Southern SIGHTINGS
The late summer period naturally started quietening down after the midsummer excitement, but there were still some classy rarities on offer for birders all over the subregion. As always, none of the records included here have been adjudicated by any of the subregion's Rarities Committees.
flood impact on wetland birds
One of the features of a warming planet is increasingly erratic rainfall; years of drought followed by devastating floods. Fortunately, many waterbirds are pre-adapted to cope with such extremes, especially in southern Africa where they have evolved to exploit episodic rainfall events in semi-arid and arid regions. But how do waterbirds respond to floods in areas where rainfall - and access to water - is more predictable? Peter Ryan explores the consequences of recent floods on the birds of the Western Cape's Olifants River valley.
a star is born
It’s every producer’s dream to plan a wildlife television series and pick the right characters before filming.
